Ravi Shankar with his guru Baba Allauddin Khan and Ali Akbar khan

At the age of 18, Ravi Shankar returned to India to become a disciple of Baba Allauddin Khan and dedicated himself to continue the study of the sitar.

For seven years, he lived and learnt in the guru-shishya tradition. One of the most noteworthy teachers of the 20th century, Baba Allauddin Khan was a musician at the royal court of Maihar in modern-day Madhya Pradesh. While he was a master of the sarod, he played several instruments and assembled the Maihar band, an orchestra of Indian instruments played by orphans.